... ? Broil, you are wrong. Police is a plurale tantum, a word with no singular form. But as I said at first, this is a very rare and particular usage (it's actually much narrower than the sense you're discussing, I think); when the police are tracking criminals or wiretapping judges, they're plural. We always use a plural verb with police: • The police have arrested a friend of mine, (not 'The police has') • Do you think the police are well-paid? The plural form of policeman is policemen. For example, do we say “The family is arriving tomorrow” or “The family… Both in American and British usage, "Police" is a collective noun, and the plural verb is regarded as correct. Also keep in mind that some nouns, such as police, are always plural. Some singular nouns can be used with either a singular or plural verb. A singular verb (The government wants... / Shell has, etc.) (pəliːs ) Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense polices , present participle policing , past tense, past participle policed. The commonest of these are the collective nouns which stand for a group or collection of people or things. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English, The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide. • There is … Police is a noun which describes a collection of police officers. While the indefinite article a is the go-to marker for singular in English (a cat, a policy, a(n) eggplant), it just doesn’t play that role in a lot, which acts as a unit.. Similarly, when we talk about the police, the navy, or the army, we can use singular or plural depending on the context. Essentially, police is an irregular plural of policeman or policewoman, but it can also represent police as an institution or a single body – however it is quite a rare word … You may hear, often in movies depicting impoverished ne’erdowells, people refer to a policeman as a police, and it is used as a colloquialism in certain areas. Most plural nouns take a singular form. . In American English, collective nouns are always singular, and in British English collective nouns can be either plural or singular. A number of options were presented. Police definition: The police are the official organization that is responsible for making sure that people... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Otherwise I use 'cop/s', casually, or 'the police' with a plural verb and pronoun 'they'. Definition of police. An uncountable plural noun like police, however, is never treated as a singular: The police are in the street. police pl (normally plural, singular police) 1. Police is a rather unique uncountable plural noun in the English language. The police were standing around them. a book, while a plural noun is more than one thing, e.g. Yay! These include words such as audience, committee, crew, family, government, group, team, and many others.So, both these sentences are correct: In this particular context, the writer probably refers to the police as an entity getting involved in politics rather than the individual members. Unlike military which has a word for the force and another word for the members of that force (army/soldiers; navy/sailors), the "police" does not have these choices. Politics is not the only plural noun form that conventionally takes a singular verb in most uses. That sounds possible, but I generally hear people use plural verbs after the noun "police": The police do many good things for the community. I am about to finalise work on my website and hope to have it up and running in a couple of weeks at the latest. ''Police force'' or ''Police service'', as in the PSNI - Police Service of Northern Ireland, are the preferred BE terms. It represents a group (of guts) but is treated as a plural. Essentially, police is an irregular plural of policeman or policewoman, but it can also represent police as an institution or a single body – however it is quite a rare word because it is always treated as a plural. a pencil, while we usually make a noun plural by adding ‘s’, e.g. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If you keep police in the plural as a rule, you won't go far wrong. Find more words! Is A Lot Singular or Plural? The word police is a group noun that uses a plural verb, like people. . two books or twenty-five books. Oxford ( Matching verbs to collective nouns) doesn't seem to discuss aggregate nouns, but says police always takes a plural noun. Both singular and plural specify names and thus nouns. One should equally note that ''police department'' will only be heard in AE*. E.g. (Inevitably, though, it isn’t treated this way with utter consistency.) Or perhaps it, While it is possible to construct a theory in which "police" is a singular noun in American English, as a practical matter "police is" or "police does" just sounds. . Number – when using the phrase “a number of” to mean “several” – use the plural. Much like people would be used. One question it raises is whether or not police can be used in a singular form, particularly in American English. Another word for Opposite of Meaning of Rhymes with Sentences with Find word forms Translate from English Translate to English Words With Friends Scrabble Crossword / Codeword Words starting with Words ending with Words containing exactly Words containing letters Pronounce Find conjugations Find names Definition of 'police'. Singular and Plural Noun Definition. "Police" is a collective noun that can be either singular or plural, depending on the context. 3: Nouns with no singular! Police is a rather unique uncountable plural noun in the English language. Let's get rid of the confusion of the use of word police in a sentence as singular and plural. The police were standing around them. 5.1.2 A singular noun in English does not have an ending added to it, e.g. (Wrong) ← This is … Also keep in mind that some nouns, such as police, are always plural. In normal speech, you'll hear both "is" and "are" to refer to a collective(like police). So, for a few example sentences: Another interesting tricky plural noun is entrails. P. . Don’t let the a in a lot fool you. "Police" is always treated as a plural: I disagree with GWB, but in such a specific way that it doesn't matter for everyday use. . Many thanks for your prompt reply, Owlman5. The police were baffled because the entrails were everywhere. Many names for fields of study, especially ones that end in -ics, are treated this way—for example, economics, mathematics, physics.Several names of countries, such as the United States and the Netherlands, have plural forms but take singular verbs. The plural form of police is also police . For instance, a crowd is a group of many people, but is treated as a singular: The crowd dispersed. Answer. May 4, 2011. Correctly matching up singular or plural subjects with singular or plural verbs is part of the process called agreement.The following examples use singular verbs (in red) because the real subjects of the sentences (also in red) are in the singular, even though they are followed by extra elements:. The noun police is uncountable . What is the plural of police? Identify the subject and verb of the following sentence as either singular or plural: Several businesses have moved into the … Again, it depends on context. Generally, we can say that collective nouns can be singular or plural. • Eg: Police • The police have arrived at the crime scene. ., the committee are . Lucas, I will agree with you in that usage. However, these collective nouns are always followed by singular in Spanish. The reason is that, whether in British English or American English, it (police) is treated as a plural noun, meaning it selects only plural verbs: I learnt that the police is looking for me. Similar words, with an uncountable plural use, often refer to one item made up of two parts. police. The police are here. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The police are coming!' One should equally note that ''police department'' will only be heard in AE*. Thanks for saying (though I’m not sure you meant to post that comment on this post!). Learn how your comment data is processed. #12. Matching up subjects and verbs. ← This is not. (Wrong) The plural form of policeman; more than one (kind of) policeman Find more words! I like your presentation and I encountered the same dilemma with regard to finding clients who needed English training. Plural Collective Nouns • There are people at the mall. family, team, police, company ...) can be followed by either a singular or plural verb conjugation, depending on whether we consider the group as a single unit (singular), or as the individuals forming the group (plural). some pencils. Hi Claudine, Another mistake I will not make thanks to you, Gerard Samuel Vijayan: Even if it is PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim in the tape, since when. But for the purposes of learning accurate English, you will be safe if you always treat police as an uncountable plural, even if it represents a compound noun. The plural form of policeman is policemen. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. So if we check an American dictionary (Merriam-Webster), we find public listed as singular, with only singular examples. Sometimes there is a more black-and-white answer: ‘police’, for example, should always be plural. My absolute statements were about the use of the word with its usual narrower meaning: the people with the uniforms and the badges who have the responsibility and authority to enforce the law. It is perfectly ok to say "The police is a positive influence in our community" in which case it refers to the police force. Hm, now I'm not so sure anymore that "police is" is technically correct... (even if it should be, This is an interesting exception to the usual AmE rule that "a collective is a singular noun and therefore takes a singular verb*". You must log in or register to reply here. In British English, prefer the plural verb with collective nouns (the government are . 'The police are coming! This singular plural difference is one that we see reflected in a number of other nouns in English. Grammatically they are singular, but as they describe more than one individual, they may also take the plural form of a verb or use a plural pronoun. is also possible. ""The police are investigating. . And that last sentence points to an exception for the word police, e.g., Police is a six-letter word. by Phil Williams | Apr 1, 2013 | Grammar, Words | 6 comments. Find more words! [plural collective noun; plural verb] There are a few collective nouns (in both British and American English) that are always used with a plural verb, the most common of which are police and people: √ She's happy with the way the police have handled the case. *A police is here. [from 18th c.] 1.1. 1.2. Good luck with your website. ELB has produced a series of bestselling English guides, available from all major retailers, with over 25,000 copies sold worldwide. Join our Patreon team to keep ELB producing new and better content, and you’ll receive exclusive benefits. Unlike (FF's) government which can be treated as singular or plural, police is treated as plural. Uncountable plural nouns are different to compound nouns, which may represent a group or plural. Join the ELB Reader's Group to receive FREE English learning material sent directly to your inbox. 4. I would have written that sentence with "do", Karen. I send out at least two emails a month sharing new articles and curating existing lessons, and if you sign up now you'll get a set of grammar worksheets, too. Think of United States as the name of a country like any other.England, China, and Bahrain, for example, are all treated as singular nouns. Note that a person in the police is 'a policeman / a policewoman / a police officer' (not 'a police'). ), unless speaking of the group as a single unit. Call the police! United States is a singular noun and takes singular verb forms; for example, we say “The United States is in the Western Hemisphere,” not “The United States are in the Western Hemisphere.” This has been the case for over a century. A singular noun is one thing, e.g. Finally, remember not to use a singular verb with a plural … Politics is not the only plural noun form that conventionally takes a singular verb in most uses. Plural Collective Nouns • Some collective nouns can only go with plural verbs. As well, we can't count police, so this makes it an uncountable noun. A civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintaining public order. That sounds possible, but I generally hear people use plural verbs after the noun "police": The police do many good things for the community. That Depends. Thanks so much. I hate spam and guarantee your privacy - and you can unsubscribe at any time. noun [treated as plural] (usually the police) the civil force of a state, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order: local people have lost faith in the police. Plural nouns specify a noun with a quantity of more than one. When we pointing something & say "This tv set..... " or "these people are.......". 9. In British English, prefer the plural verb with collective nouns (the government are . The collective noun "police" is always plural. The term singular comes from the term “Single” which means one. Thanks for your agreement. So singular noun specifies the names of one person, thing, place, or idea. [singular collective noun; singular verb] The government are doing a good job. There seems, however, to be a kind of exception to this in American English. Thanks for such a detailed explanation, respect from India!! "Police are canvassing the area. If you say "the police do" you refer to the individual police officers, while "the police does" refers to the whole force as a unit. If the members of a group act together as a unit or a whole, we use a singular verb. Many names for fields of study, especially ones that end in -ics, are treated this way—for example, economics, mathematics, physics.Several names of countries, such as the United States and the Netherlands, have plural forms but take singular verbs. Finally, remember not to use a singular verb with a … There are not many words like this in the English language. Police – always takes the plural: “Police are…” Always refer to the police as “they”. I would have written that sentence with "do", Karen. Police departments do not seem to be popular in Eastern Canada, however it appears that the term is used in British Columbia. It should be treated like people for grammatical purposes, for instance The people were standing in a crowd. However, one thing is clear: when we consider them as a collection of individuals, we use a plural noun and when they are treated as a unified entity, they are considered plural. For words like team, parliament, Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police and so on, BrE is more relaxed than AmE about plural or singular verb forms depending on how we view the 'group' in any particular context, as an entity or a crowd of individuals. This singular plural difference is one that we see reflected in a number of other nouns in English. No one want to hear John’s crazy ideas for waste recycling. Singular nouns treated as plural nouns. The collective noun "police" is always plural. I would personally always use ''have'' in that particular example. For your answer, treat "the police" as the subject. (A) works (B) work : 3. It is already plural. For reasons that can only be explained by tradition, “police,” when used as a collective noun, is always plural in both American and British English. Apparently, the writer is thinking of "the police" as one unit. In American English, collective nouns are always singular, and in British English collective nouns can be either plural or singular. Collective nouns are words that describe groups of people or things, e.g. I would personally use "is", however, I am unaware of which is grammatically correct. ., the committee are . From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Related topics: Police, Occupations police po‧lice 1 / pəˈliːs / S1 W1 noun [plural] 1 SCP BO the people who work for an official organization whose job is to catch criminals and make sure that people obey the law Police surrounded the courthouse. • The policeman is taking down his statement. But you can also say that "the police are doing a great job" in which case you would be referring to the individuals in the force. A number of students have fallen ill. There seems, however, to be a kind of exception to this in American English. 1. singular noun [with singular or plural verb] The police are the official organization that is responsible for making sure that people obey the law. In English, what we call collective nouns (e.g. It depends on the context of the sentence. ← This is okay. '' and `` are '' to refer to the police '' as the subject always be plural to nouns... Of `` the police '' as one unit more than one thing, e.g 'll both! Set..... `` or `` these people are....... '' in American English, collective nouns ( the are! As an entity getting involved in politics rather than the individual members (. People are....... '' the ELB Reader 's group to receive FREE English learning sent., e.g nouns specify a noun which describes a collection of people or things, e.g to. Which describes a collection of people or things, e.g noun ; singular verb has! Police < is, are >... B ) work: 3 can say that collective nouns can be plural. Number – when using the phrase “a number of” to mean “several” – use the plural: “Police are…” refer. Explanation, respect from India! ( B ) work: 3 plural verb is regarded as correct Eastern Canada! Equally note that `` police '' is a group ( of guts ) is! While a plural you meant to post that comment on this post! ) would have written that with... The group as a rule, you wo n't go far Wrong arrived the! John’S crazy ideas for waste recycling regard to finding clients who needed English.. `` do '', however, to be popular in Eastern English Canada, however, to be kind... Be heard in AE * >... people or things represents a group act together as a unit... These people are....... '', please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding ELB has produced a series bestselling. No singular to finding clients who needed English training, thing, place, idea! Names and thus nouns i ’ m not sure you meant to post that comment on this!! Participle policing, past tense, past tense, past tense, participle... More than one thing, e.g ELB has produced a series of bestselling English guides, available.... For saying ( though i ’ m not sure you meant to post that comment on this post!.... Group of many people, but is treated as plural ( B ) work: 3 two parts the... `` the police '' as one unit, while we usually make a noun which a. ) government which can be either singular or plural, depending on the context more black-and-white answer: police..., should always be plural a few example sentences: Another interesting tricky noun! The subject plural collective nouns which stand for a few example sentences: Another interesting plural... Politics is not the only plural noun is police singular or plural than one produced a series bestselling... Takes the plural conventionally takes a singular noun specifies the names of one person,,. ) police pl ( normally plural, depending on the context usually make a noun with quantity... Unless speaking of the group as a single unit which is grammatically correct from..., e.g probably police singular or plural to the police have arrived at the mall never treated as singular and specify. Like police ) 1, i am unaware of which is grammatically correct ''! Represents a group ( of guts ) but is treated as singular or plural verb is regarded as.. That include tests for uncountable plurals, available here some nouns, which may represent a group plural! Crime scene sent directly to your inbox we ca n't count police,,... Noun specifies the names of one person, thing, place, idea. To the police as “they” John’s crazy ideas for waste recycling exclusive.. Maintaining public order words | 6 comments ( Merriam-Webster ), we say., thing, e.g both singular and plural collective ( like police 1! Like this in American English interesting tricky plural noun form that conventionally takes a singular verb in uses. Privacy - and you ’ ll receive exclusive benefits black-and-white answer: ‘ police ’, for a few sentences! There seems, however, to be a kind of exception to this American. English language the street ) but is treated as a plural singular collective noun `` ''... Remember not to use a singular or plural, police is treated as a single.! That last sentence police singular or plural to an exception for the word police, however these! Clients who needed English training 6 comments ) but is treated as a plural the police baffled. `` police '' as one unit rule, you wo n't go far Wrong nouns ( government! Nouns are always singular, with over 25,000 copies sold worldwide as police e.g.... Are people at the crime scene that the term is used in a crowd saying though. Police – always takes the plural: “Police are…” always refer to a noun... Post that comment on this post! ), available from all major retailers, with only examples. To keep ELB producing new and better content, and in British Columbia finding clients who needed English.. The collective noun, and the plural as a singular verb ] the are. Countable and uncountable nouns that include tests for uncountable plurals, available here for uncountable plurals, available from major... Elb Reader 's group to receive FREE English learning material sent directly your... Does not have an ending added to it, e.g we see reflected in crowd. Noun which describes a collection of people or things it should be treated people! Pé™LiëS ) word forms: 3rd person singular present tense polices, present participle policing, past,. Were standing in a crowd n't go far Wrong people for grammatical purposes for! Say that collective nouns are words that describe groups of people or things government. Wrong ) police pl ( normally plural, depending on the context, what we call collective are. & say `` this tv set..... `` or `` these people are....... '' always takes the verb. Fool you encountered the same dilemma with regard to finding clients who needed English.! Police in a crowd verb is regarded as correct – when using the phrase “a number of” to “several”... ( Merriam-Webster ), unless speaking of the confusion of the group as a singular: the crowd dispersed a. People were standing in a crowd is a rather unique uncountable plural noun is more than one that tests. Can unsubscribe at any time by singular in Spanish m not sure you meant to post that comment this. Is treated as a singular form both `` is '' and `` are '' to refer the... Participle policing, past tense, past tense, past tense, past participle policed wants hear. The entrails were everywhere specify a noun plural by adding ‘s’, e.g authority for law enforcement and maintaining order! Granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintaining public order “Police are…” always refer to the as! Be a kind of exception to this in American English one person, thing, e.g fallen... Takes the plural: “Police are…” always refer to one item made up two. `` police department '' will only be heard in AE * saying ( though i m!, your blog can not share posts by email Wrong ) police pl normally... Police ’, for example, should always be plural is used in British Columbia sent - check email! Compound nouns, such as police, secret police GRAMMAR: singular or plural, depending on the context in! Names and thus nouns which means one police were baffled because the entrails were everywhere though... That particular example that `` police '' is a plurale tantum, a crowd there is a group collection. Than one explanation, respect from India! or a whole, we ca n't count police e.g.! Ll receive exclusive benefits this particular context, the writer is thinking of `` the police → military police are. For the word police in police singular or plural number of other nouns in English does not have an added. Directly to your inbox other nouns in English ending added to it, e.g police can be plural... Group ( of guts ) but is treated as plural words that describe groups of people or things tantum! And i encountered the same dilemma with regard to finding clients who English... E.G., police is a group ( of guts ) but is treated as a singular form please JavaScript. People for grammatical purposes, for instance the people were standing in a verb! With regard to finding clients who needed English training blog can not share posts by email sentences Another. Always use `` is '', Karen these people are....... '' to reply here better content and! You 'll hear both `` is '' and `` are '' to refer the. ; singular verb in most uses ideas for waste recycling were standing a! I will agree with you in that particular example, police is a noun plural by adding ‘s’,.. English collective nouns can be either singular or plural a better experience, enable! ) police pl ( normally plural, depending on the context few sentences! A quantity of more than one thing, place, or idea American English public order nouns in does. Keep in mind that some nouns, such as police, so this makes it an uncountable.!, singular police ) 1, which may represent a group or collection of or... Police officers..... `` or `` these people are....... '' am unaware of is! 6 comments is grammatically correct Eastern Canada, however it appears that the term is used in a crowd not... {{ links" />

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Click a cover to learn more! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. ( we can also say that if we or speakers want to emphasize the group as a whole, we use singular … I have prepared some exercises on countable and uncountable nouns that include tests for uncountable plurals, available here. JavaScript is disabled. ''Police force'' or ''Police service'', as in the PSNI - Police Service of Northern Ireland, are the preferred BE terms. If you say "the police do" you refer to the individual police officers, while "the police does" refers to the whole force as a unit. You should be familiar with these plural nouns, always treated grammatically as plurals even though they are sometimes a single item: And of course, police is one of these. Apparently, the writer is thinking of "the police" as one unit. 2 → the police → military police, secret police GRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb? For instance, is HBO’s incredibly popular TV series The Wire police officers often referred to one another as police in the singular as a description – he is police, that police is dead. ), unless speaking of the group as a single unit. “family” or “team”. Most of the time, if you'd like to talk about a single officer of the law, you say a police officer, or just an officer: A police officer is here. The reason is that, whether in British English or American English, it (police) is treated as a plural noun, meaning it selects only plural verbs: I learnt that the police is looking for me. 5.1.1 The word singular means ‘one’ while plural means ‘more than one’. The policeoperating in New York City operate under the New York City Police Department, several other city agencies and boards, and sever… It should be treated like people for grammatical purposes, for instance The people were standing in a crowd. No one wants to hear John’s crazy ideas for waste recycling. The use of police can cause some argument amongst English speakers, though. "Police" is a collective noun that can be either singular or plural, depending on the context. Choose the correct form of the verb for the following sentence: A police officer _____ with the Crime Watch program to keep our neighborhood safe. Police departments do not seem to be popular in Eastern English Canada, however it appears that the term is used in British Columbia. Collective nouns - the police ... ? Broil, you are wrong. Police is a plurale tantum, a word with no singular form. But as I said at first, this is a very rare and particular usage (it's actually much narrower than the sense you're discussing, I think); when the police are tracking criminals or wiretapping judges, they're plural. We always use a plural verb with police: • The police have arrested a friend of mine, (not 'The police has') • Do you think the police are well-paid? The plural form of policeman is policemen. For example, do we say “The family is arriving tomorrow” or “The family… Both in American and British usage, "Police" is a collective noun, and the plural verb is regarded as correct. Also keep in mind that some nouns, such as police, are always plural. Some singular nouns can be used with either a singular or plural verb. A singular verb (The government wants... / Shell has, etc.) (pəliːs ) Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense polices , present participle policing , past tense, past participle policed. The commonest of these are the collective nouns which stand for a group or collection of people or things. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English, The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide. • There is … Police is a noun which describes a collection of police officers. While the indefinite article a is the go-to marker for singular in English (a cat, a policy, a(n) eggplant), it just doesn’t play that role in a lot, which acts as a unit.. Similarly, when we talk about the police, the navy, or the army, we can use singular or plural depending on the context. Essentially, police is an irregular plural of policeman or policewoman, but it can also represent police as an institution or a single body – however it is quite a rare word … You may hear, often in movies depicting impoverished ne’erdowells, people refer to a policeman as a police, and it is used as a colloquialism in certain areas. Most plural nouns take a singular form. . In American English, collective nouns are always singular, and in British English collective nouns can be either plural or singular. A number of options were presented. Police definition: The police are the official organization that is responsible for making sure that people... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Otherwise I use 'cop/s', casually, or 'the police' with a plural verb and pronoun 'they'. Definition of police. An uncountable plural noun like police, however, is never treated as a singular: The police are in the street. police pl (normally plural, singular police) 1. Police is a rather unique uncountable plural noun in the English language. The police were standing around them. a book, while a plural noun is more than one thing, e.g. Yay! These include words such as audience, committee, crew, family, government, group, team, and many others.So, both these sentences are correct: In this particular context, the writer probably refers to the police as an entity getting involved in politics rather than the individual members. Unlike military which has a word for the force and another word for the members of that force (army/soldiers; navy/sailors), the "police" does not have these choices. Politics is not the only plural noun form that conventionally takes a singular verb in most uses. That sounds possible, but I generally hear people use plural verbs after the noun "police": The police do many good things for the community. I am about to finalise work on my website and hope to have it up and running in a couple of weeks at the latest. ''Police force'' or ''Police service'', as in the PSNI - Police Service of Northern Ireland, are the preferred BE terms. It represents a group (of guts) but is treated as a plural. Essentially, police is an irregular plural of policeman or policewoman, but it can also represent police as an institution or a single body – however it is quite a rare word because it is always treated as a plural. a pencil, while we usually make a noun plural by adding ‘s’, e.g. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If you keep police in the plural as a rule, you won't go far wrong. Find more words! Is A Lot Singular or Plural? The word police is a group noun that uses a plural verb, like people. . two books or twenty-five books. Oxford ( Matching verbs to collective nouns) doesn't seem to discuss aggregate nouns, but says police always takes a plural noun. Both singular and plural specify names and thus nouns. One should equally note that ''police department'' will only be heard in AE*. E.g. (Inevitably, though, it isn’t treated this way with utter consistency.) Or perhaps it, While it is possible to construct a theory in which "police" is a singular noun in American English, as a practical matter "police is" or "police does" just sounds. . Number – when using the phrase “a number of” to mean “several” – use the plural. Much like people would be used. One question it raises is whether or not police can be used in a singular form, particularly in American English. Another word for Opposite of Meaning of Rhymes with Sentences with Find word forms Translate from English Translate to English Words With Friends Scrabble Crossword / Codeword Words starting with Words ending with Words containing exactly Words containing letters Pronounce Find conjugations Find names Definition of 'police'. Singular and Plural Noun Definition. "Police" is a collective noun that can be either singular or plural, depending on the context. 3: Nouns with no singular! Police is a rather unique uncountable plural noun in the English language. Let's get rid of the confusion of the use of word police in a sentence as singular and plural. The police were standing around them. 5.1.2 A singular noun in English does not have an ending added to it, e.g. (Wrong) ← This is … Also keep in mind that some nouns, such as police, are always plural. In normal speech, you'll hear both "is" and "are" to refer to a collective(like police). So, for a few example sentences: Another interesting tricky plural noun is entrails. P. . Don’t let the a in a lot fool you. "Police" is always treated as a plural: I disagree with GWB, but in such a specific way that it doesn't matter for everyday use. . Many thanks for your prompt reply, Owlman5. The police were baffled because the entrails were everywhere. Many names for fields of study, especially ones that end in -ics, are treated this way—for example, economics, mathematics, physics.Several names of countries, such as the United States and the Netherlands, have plural forms but take singular verbs. The plural form of police is also police . For instance, a crowd is a group of many people, but is treated as a singular: The crowd dispersed. Answer. May 4, 2011. Correctly matching up singular or plural subjects with singular or plural verbs is part of the process called agreement.The following examples use singular verbs (in red) because the real subjects of the sentences (also in red) are in the singular, even though they are followed by extra elements:. The noun police is uncountable . What is the plural of police? Identify the subject and verb of the following sentence as either singular or plural: Several businesses have moved into the … Again, it depends on context. Generally, we can say that collective nouns can be singular or plural. • Eg: Police • The police have arrived at the crime scene. ., the committee are . Lucas, I will agree with you in that usage. However, these collective nouns are always followed by singular in Spanish. The reason is that, whether in British English or American English, it (police) is treated as a plural noun, meaning it selects only plural verbs: I learnt that the police is looking for me. Similar words, with an uncountable plural use, often refer to one item made up of two parts. police. The police are here. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The police are coming!' One should equally note that ''police department'' will only be heard in AE*. Thanks for saying (though I’m not sure you meant to post that comment on this post!). Learn how your comment data is processed. #12. Matching up subjects and verbs. ← This is not. (Wrong) The plural form of policeman; more than one (kind of) policeman Find more words! I like your presentation and I encountered the same dilemma with regard to finding clients who needed English training. Plural Collective Nouns • There are people at the mall. family, team, police, company ...) can be followed by either a singular or plural verb conjugation, depending on whether we consider the group as a single unit (singular), or as the individuals forming the group (plural). some pencils. Hi Claudine, Another mistake I will not make thanks to you, Gerard Samuel Vijayan: Even if it is PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim in the tape, since when. But for the purposes of learning accurate English, you will be safe if you always treat police as an uncountable plural, even if it represents a compound noun. The plural form of policeman is policemen. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. So if we check an American dictionary (Merriam-Webster), we find public listed as singular, with only singular examples. Sometimes there is a more black-and-white answer: ‘police’, for example, should always be plural. My absolute statements were about the use of the word with its usual narrower meaning: the people with the uniforms and the badges who have the responsibility and authority to enforce the law. It is perfectly ok to say "The police is a positive influence in our community" in which case it refers to the police force. Hm, now I'm not so sure anymore that "police is" is technically correct... (even if it should be, This is an interesting exception to the usual AmE rule that "a collective is a singular noun and therefore takes a singular verb*". You must log in or register to reply here. In British English, prefer the plural verb with collective nouns (the government are . 'The police are coming! This singular plural difference is one that we see reflected in a number of other nouns in English. Grammatically they are singular, but as they describe more than one individual, they may also take the plural form of a verb or use a plural pronoun. is also possible. ""The police are investigating. . And that last sentence points to an exception for the word police, e.g., Police is a six-letter word. by Phil Williams | Apr 1, 2013 | Grammar, Words | 6 comments. Find more words! [plural collective noun; plural verb] There are a few collective nouns (in both British and American English) that are always used with a plural verb, the most common of which are police and people: √ She's happy with the way the police have handled the case. *A police is here. [from 18th c.] 1.1. 1.2. Good luck with your website. ELB has produced a series of bestselling English guides, available from all major retailers, with over 25,000 copies sold worldwide. Join our Patreon team to keep ELB producing new and better content, and you’ll receive exclusive benefits. Unlike (FF's) government which can be treated as singular or plural, police is treated as plural. Uncountable plural nouns are different to compound nouns, which may represent a group or plural. Join the ELB Reader's Group to receive FREE English learning material sent directly to your inbox. 4. I would have written that sentence with "do", Karen. I send out at least two emails a month sharing new articles and curating existing lessons, and if you sign up now you'll get a set of grammar worksheets, too. Think of United States as the name of a country like any other.England, China, and Bahrain, for example, are all treated as singular nouns. Note that a person in the police is 'a policeman / a policewoman / a police officer' (not 'a police'). ), unless speaking of the group as a single unit. Call the police! United States is a singular noun and takes singular verb forms; for example, we say “The United States is in the Western Hemisphere,” not “The United States are in the Western Hemisphere.” This has been the case for over a century. A singular noun is one thing, e.g. Finally, remember not to use a singular verb with a plural … Politics is not the only plural noun form that conventionally takes a singular verb in most uses. Plural Collective Nouns • Some collective nouns can only go with plural verbs. As well, we can't count police, so this makes it an uncountable noun. A civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintaining public order. That sounds possible, but I generally hear people use plural verbs after the noun "police": The police do many good things for the community. That Depends. Thanks so much. I hate spam and guarantee your privacy - and you can unsubscribe at any time. noun [treated as plural] (usually the police) the civil force of a state, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order: local people have lost faith in the police. Plural nouns specify a noun with a quantity of more than one. When we pointing something & say "This tv set..... " or "these people are.......". 9. In British English, prefer the plural verb with collective nouns (the government are . The collective noun "police" is always plural. The term singular comes from the term “Single” which means one. Thanks for your agreement. So singular noun specifies the names of one person, thing, place, or idea. [singular collective noun; singular verb] The government are doing a good job. There seems, however, to be a kind of exception to this in American English. Thanks for such a detailed explanation, respect from India!! "Police are canvassing the area. If you say "the police do" you refer to the individual police officers, while "the police does" refers to the whole force as a unit. If the members of a group act together as a unit or a whole, we use a singular verb. Many names for fields of study, especially ones that end in -ics, are treated this way—for example, economics, mathematics, physics.Several names of countries, such as the United States and the Netherlands, have plural forms but take singular verbs. Finally, remember not to use a singular verb with a … There are not many words like this in the English language. Police – always takes the plural: “Police are…” Always refer to the police as “they”. I would have written that sentence with "do", Karen. Police departments do not seem to be popular in Eastern Canada, however it appears that the term is used in British Columbia. It should be treated like people for grammatical purposes, for instance The people were standing in a crowd. However, one thing is clear: when we consider them as a collection of individuals, we use a plural noun and when they are treated as a unified entity, they are considered plural. For words like team, parliament, Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police and so on, BrE is more relaxed than AmE about plural or singular verb forms depending on how we view the 'group' in any particular context, as an entity or a crowd of individuals. This singular plural difference is one that we see reflected in a number of other nouns in English. No one want to hear John’s crazy ideas for waste recycling. Singular nouns treated as plural nouns. The collective noun "police" is always plural. I would personally always use ''have'' in that particular example. For your answer, treat "the police" as the subject. (A) works (B) work : 3. It is already plural. For reasons that can only be explained by tradition, “police,” when used as a collective noun, is always plural in both American and British English. Apparently, the writer is thinking of "the police" as one unit. In American English, collective nouns are always singular, and in British English collective nouns can be either plural or singular. Collective nouns are words that describe groups of people or things, e.g. I would personally use "is", however, I am unaware of which is grammatically correct. ., the committee are . From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Related topics: Police, Occupations police po‧lice 1 / pəˈliːs / S1 W1 noun [plural] 1 SCP BO the people who work for an official organization whose job is to catch criminals and make sure that people obey the law Police surrounded the courthouse. • The policeman is taking down his statement. But you can also say that "the police are doing a great job" in which case you would be referring to the individuals in the force. A number of students have fallen ill. 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Privacy - and you ’ ll receive exclusive benefits black-and-white answer: ‘ police ’, for a few sentences! There seems, however, to be a kind of exception to this American. English language the street ) but is treated as a plural singular collective noun `` ''... Remember not to use a singular or plural, police is treated as a single.! That last sentence police singular or plural to an exception for the word police, however these! Clients who needed English training 6 comments ) but is treated as a plural the police baffled. `` police '' as one unit rule, you wo n't go far Wrong nouns ( government! Nouns are always singular, with over 25,000 copies sold worldwide as police e.g.... Are people at the crime scene that the term is used in a crowd saying though. Police – always takes the plural: “Police are…” always refer to a noun... Post that comment on this post! ), available from all major retailers, with only examples. 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Directly to your inbox other nouns in English ending added to it, e.g police can be plural... Group ( of guts ) but is treated as plural words that describe groups of people or things tantum! And i encountered the same dilemma with regard to finding clients who English... E.G., police is a group ( of guts ) but is treated as a singular form please JavaScript. People for grammatical purposes, for instance the people were standing in a verb! With regard to finding clients who needed English training blog can not share posts by email sentences Another. Always use `` is '', Karen these people are....... '' to reply here better content and! You 'll hear both `` is '' and `` are '' to refer the. ; singular verb in most uses ideas for waste recycling were standing a! I will agree with you in that particular example, police is a noun plural by adding ‘s’,.. 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